allonlinenovel Chapter 453: Brothers and sisters respect each other
Chapter 453: Brothers and sisters respect each other
The ministers exchanged glances, but none of them spoke first.
Currently, only Prince Chen, Prince Jin, and Prince Su are capable of handling state affairs. Although Prince Ming is the right age, his ambitions lie elsewhere.
Prince Chen is the most capable, but he is physically weak and could die at any time.
The Prince of Jin's birth mother was of low status, and although she was raised under the Empress's name, she was of mediocre ability.
Prince Su would be even less suitable, as his mother was a woman from a foreign land, and the throne of the Great Zhao could never be handed over to an outsider.
From this perspective, it seems that no one is suitable to be the emperor.
Xie Shifu sighed inwardly.
If Prince Chen were not in poor health, he would definitely be the most suitable candidate.
After a long silence, Xie Shifu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the position of Crown Prince is a matter of national importance and must be chosen with care. At present, the Great Zhao urgently needs a wise and capable ruler. If he is mediocre, I am afraid he will not be able to stabilize the situation."
Xie Shifu still chose Prince Chen.
His words were practically a direct reference to Prince Chen, and the other officials understood as well.
An old minister countered, "While the Prime Minister's words have merit, the daily affairs of the court are heavy, and without a healthy body, one is unlikely to be able to handle them. The Crown Prince will one day shoulder the well-being of the people and manage countless affairs daily. If his health collapses, what good will all his abilities be?"
"I believe that Prince Jin is the most suitable," the old minister said. "Prince Jin is currently under the Empress's care and is considered the Empress's legitimate son. In all dynasties, the eldest son of the legitimate wife is given priority, and I believe that we should follow the ancestral system."
Upon hearing this, Xie Shifu fell silent for a moment.
The Prince of Jin was of mediocre talent, but he did indeed hold the title of the legitimate son.
However, since the Prince of Jin himself did not strive for power, few people in the court were won over by him. Only a few stubborn old ministers strictly followed the ancestral rules.
Xie Shifu pondered for a moment and spoke again: "Your Majesty, although ancestral rules are important, the Great Zhao is currently beset by internal and external troubles, and it is not the time to stick to the old ways. If we only consider the eldest son and ignore the monarch's talent, how can we answer to our ancestors if the court is in turmoil and the people suffer in the future?"
“His Highness Prince Chen has always demonstrated his talent in governing the country, solving many thorny problems with ease. His Highness Prince Jin probably cannot match this ability.”
Xie Shifu spoke earnestly, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the ministers in the court. “We are paid by the emperor and are loyal to him, but we must also think of the common people of the world.”
Upon hearing this, the ministers who supported Prince Chen nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, several senior officials who wanted to recommend the Prince of Jin hesitated and remained silent.
They all knew that Xie Shifu had left unsaid.
At this moment, the Great Zhao Dynasty is facing foreign invasion on its borders, domestic livelihood needs to be improved, and undercurrents are surging in the court. What it urgently needs is a strong and resourceful monarch to turn the tide, not a mediocre son of the Empress.
Emperor Wenjing's eyes flickered slightly when he saw that they had stopped arguing.
It seems that Prince Chen has indeed done a lot in secret.
Emperor Wenjing raised his eyes and looked at Yun Shang, who had been standing silently in the crowd. "Minister Yun, who do you think is more suitable?"
Yun Shang remained calm.
There was no panic or tension as one might expect from being suddenly called upon by the emperor.
But he knew very well that Emperor Wenjing had singled him out because he knew that he had once been a staff member of Prince Chen.
Emperor Wenjing had previously tested him.
Yun Shang remained calm and composed, taking a step forward and bowing respectfully: "Your Majesty, I know very little about the princes and dare not speak presumptuously."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Wenjing smiled faintly, but the smile did not reach his eyes. "Minister Yun is too modest. You are known for your strategic thinking. What I want to hear is simply your true thoughts. There is no need to worry too much."
His words, though gentle, carried an undercurrent of authority that left no room for refusal.
Yun Shang thought to himself, "This is clearly something I can't avoid."
If they refuse again, it will only arouse the emperor's suspicion even more.
After a moment's thought, he said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Majesty is wise. Since Your Majesty has inquired, I will dare to speak frankly. In my humble opinion, the matter of establishing an heir concerns not only the fate of our ancestors and the state, but also the well-being of the people, and therefore requires careful consideration."
"His Highness Prince Chen is exceptionally capable, and we have all witnessed his wisdom and decisiveness in handling state affairs. He may be able to offer effective solutions to the current situation of internal and external troubles facing the Great Zhao. However, his health is indeed a cause for concern, as a ruler of a country needs a strong physique to cope with the complexities of state affairs."
"Although His Highness Prince Jin is slightly less capable, he is kind and benevolent, and has the status of the Empress's legitimate son. If he can receive careful guidance and assistance from the wise ministers, and with time and experience, he may very well become a qualified monarch."
Yun Shang's words were watertight, avoiding any explicit statement of support for either side.
Emperor Wenjing leaned back on his dragon throne, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest. He looked at Yun Shang with a meaningful gaze, and after a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "What Minister Yun said does make some sense. Since that's the case..."
He paused, stared at Yun Shang for a moment, and then slowly said, "Liu Haifu, summon Prince Chen to see me."
Liu Haifu quickly agreed, "Yes."
……
Half an hour ago, Prince Chen, Prince Jin, and Prince Su left the palace together.
Prince Chen would occasionally cover his mouth and cough lightly.
The Prince of Jin looked at him with concern, his brows furrowed with worry. "Has your health not yet fully recovered?"
Prince Chen waved his hand, a gentle smile on his face, "It's nothing, just an old ailment, it's nothing serious, Sixth Brother, you don't need to worry."
Prince Su remained silent, simply watching the two of them.
He was always taciturn, and neither Prince Chen nor Prince Jin thought there was anything wrong with it.
The Prince of Jin asked a few more questions before speaking slowly, "Who do you think Father Emperor will choose as his heir?"
Upon hearing this, both Prince Chen and Prince Su paused in their tracks.
Clearly, both of them were surprised that the Prince of Jin would ask such a direct question.
A fleeting, enigmatic look crossed Prince Su's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
He said calmly, "It can't be me."
His mother was a foreign woman, and he understood from a young age that the throne was absolutely impossible for him, so he never coveted the position.
Prince Chen chuckled softly, a hint of helplessness in his expression. "Why did you suddenly ask about this, Sixth Brother? The decision to establish an heir is Father's. It's not proper for us sons to speculate."
"However, whoever can shoulder the responsibility of this country and ensure the peace of the people is a blessing for the Great Zhao."
The Prince of Jin looked at him and frowned slightly.
Prince Chen's gaze was gentle, but a hint of wariness crept into his heart.
The Prince of Jin rarely makes a public appearance; could it be that he's been hiding something all along?
At this moment, the Prince of Jin spoke up, "I don't want to be emperor."
Both Prince Chen and Prince Su were taken aback.
Prince Jin continued, his words carrying a hint of sassiness, "As you all know, my abilities are limited, and I simply cannot handle the struggles in the court. Rather than sitting in that position, being pulled along by various forces, it would be better to be a carefree prince, which would be more comfortable."
A hint of surprise flashed in Prince Chen's eyes, but he quickly regained his gentle expression.
"Sixth Brother has a point."
After saying this, the three of them tacitly remained silent.
Prince Chen quickly understood why Prince Jin had suddenly said those words.
Prince Jin probably saw through his desire for the throne, so he simply told him frankly that he had no interest in it.
In this way, brothers can avoid fighting each other.
Perhaps because they had spoken their minds, the atmosphere was much more relaxed when they reached the palace gate, even though none of the three spoke.
As the three reached the palace gate and were about to board their sedan chairs to leave, a young eunuch rushed over, looking flustered. Upon seeing them, he immediately knelt down and said breathlessly, "Your Highness Prince Chen, please wait! His Majesty has decreed that Your Highness must come to see me immediately!"